County, church to conduct homelessness survey

Hastings County staff and volunteers of a Belleville church are preparing to gather new data on homelessness.

The enumeration process is both required and funded by Ontario’s housing ministry. It is to occur every two years, with the first local survey planned for April. It’s part of the Ontario government’s efforts to end chronic homelessness by 2025.

“We haven’t collected our own data before … so this is going to be good information,” said Erin Rivers, the county’s director of community and human services.

“It really gives us a concrete idea of what we’re dealing with.”

At the moment, she said, staff rely upon data from the Canadian Red Cross, the current operator of the county’s after-hours homelessness program.

That’s helpful, Rivers said, but the new information should provide a greater understanding.

“There’s a lot of hidden homelessness, too, that we don’t know about. There’s lots of people that don’t reach out for our assistance.

“I’m excited about the initiative.”

She said enumeration methods vary and can be affected by such factors as weather, making them “hit-and-miss” to a degree.

The work is “daunting,” Rivers said, so she’s grateful for the participation of volunteers from Bridge Street United Church.

In a report to the county’s community and human services committee, Rivers described the socially-conscious congregation as having “the experience and capacity” to give the county a complete report.

A church spokesman wasn’t immediately unavailable Wednesday for comment.

Rivers said the enumeration will focus on Belleville, Quinte West, Madoc and Bancroft. Each was chosen for such reasons as population, access to services and Red Cross data.

Data will be included in an update of the county’s housing and homelessness plan which is due Dec. 31, 2018.